Hope Lauren had seen a lot of odd things in her admittedly short life.
Every member of Pantheon was at least a little weird, and, being a Super herself, she would say her life was far from normal. Not to mention Mr. Larison was a bundle of secrets and thoughts she'd doubt she'd ever solve.
Despite all of that, though, somehow Hell Land still took the cake for the oddest thing she had ever seen.
An amusement park created for villains, by villains. "This place can't actually be real, right?" She asked, making a face. They still hadn't fully stepped outside, and part of her was convinced Avalon was pulling her leg. After all, picturing the Emperor himself taking her to a place like that was simply too goofy.
Avalon clapped her on the back, causing her to flinch a bit and shoot a glare up toward him. He only smiled back down. "Of course it's real. We're here after all. Don't tell me you're not a fan of amusement parks. All kids like them."
"I'm not a kid." She hissed and slapped his hand away. "I turned sixteen right before the Beast came. With how much time passed, I might be at least seventeen by now!"
"It hasn't been that long. Also, you being sixteen still technically makes you a kid, you know." The scientist snorted.
"Yeah, but I wasn't as small as I am now!" She complained.
"Don't be so dramatic. You'll change back eventually. I think?" Avalon hummed, rubbing his chin.
"You think!"
"Shut up!" Fairy Queen yelled back at them, silencing both her and Avalon. The villain made a face and balled her hands into a fist. "Is it right to actually let her out of her cage, Master?"
The Emperor simply let out a soft hum. "Be nice, Fairy Queen. Cinder is our guest."
"I'm not your guest! I'm your prisoner."
"You can go if you want." The world's strongest villain gestured out with his hand. He watched her, waiting for her to move. She didn't. Where would she even try to go? She'd need to figure out where they were first, at least. "Alright then. Children, behave yourselves." He turned away from her, his cloak flowing behind him.
The shadowy forms of Polaron and Demonica followed after them. Right behind them was Fairy Queen. Finally, that left her and Avalon in the back. They exited the strange golden building they were in. Past the large tower doors was a ramp that went down leading outside. As they stepped down the ramp, she looked up, finding the body of Golden God. The ramp they were walking on was attached directly to his belly button, which had formed into the massive doors.
Earlier, the Emperor had told her they were inside of Golden God. It turns out he wasn't joking. Golden God was, in a way, the Emperor's personal ship. A sad fate to end up as if you asked her.
As they stepped off of the ramp, it pulled itself back into the robotic villain's body, and the heavy doors shut and faded away. "We've arrived at Hell Land, my Master." The machine spoke in his emotionless voice, motioning forward with his many arms. "I trust the ride was to your satisfaction."
They were in another pocket realm. She could tell right away because of the sky. It looked like something out of a horror movie. It was blood red with black skull-like faces forming the clouds. Some glared down, and some had their mouths open wide in a hellish roar. They were on an island, one surrounded by an ocean of what she hoped was red water. The island sort of reminded her of the base the Bad Timers had used, only it was much bigger.
A massive dock was formed all around the coast of the island, and there were dozens of boats of all shapes and sizes. Some looked like something out of a sci-fi comic, most likely being forged by a Mental-based Super. Others were extremely old-fashioned and barely holding together. All were filled with large crews of people. In fact, the entire beach was scattered with hundreds of people. Towles were laid out, and some people walked around in swimwear while others were dressed head to toe in villain costumes. Others looked like grunts who were part of some small gang, and some were playing in the red water, surfing or swimming, or even fishing.
It was such an odd sight. Some of the people looked toward them and whispered, but it wasn't out of fear. Instead, they were speaking in awe as they stared at the Emperor, many taking pictures. Golden God also got a lot of attention. He remained floating in the air and smashed one of his hands down, blocking most people from looking at his boss.
"It's one hundred dollars per photo." The machine stated in his emotionless tone. "I've gone ahead and hacked into everyone's account and will be transferring the money of anyone who took a picture without our consent." That got a lot of people to drop their phones or cameras. That didn't stop the excited whispers, though, or the stares the Emperor was getting. It was the same look people would give the Victorian.
She realized that Avalon's words earlier hadn't been wrong. This was a place for evil. Each one of these people was a villain. The same group that the Emperor had united under one banner years ago when he declared war on planet Earth. These were his people. His subjects. His warriors. Hundreds of gangs from all over the planet all gathered here.
Whatever realm they were in, it was not one that should have existed. Here the Emperor was the most popular. He was the symbol of evil. The one that all these people were looking up to.
Slowly, the Emperor walked toward his destination. Across the beach was what she could only describe as an amusement park. Large walls blocked off an entire area of the island just past the beach. There were several tall motels scattered around, and just past them was a gateline that had several men dressed in black knight armor with the words 'security' across their chest plates. Their helmets were shaped like wolf heads, and they gripped jagged maces. It reminded her of Hell Hound, whom she still remembered from Ruby's memories.
A large line had formed in front of the gate, made up of villains she had never seen before. Some looked like straight-up monsters; others wore colorful costumes. Some still didn't even bother to try and stand out, and if not for the dangerous aura they gave off and fake smiles on their faces, she'd have assumed they were normal people.
Past the gate was the park itself. Even from here, she could hear the large crowd of people and see rides in the distance. Things like roller-coasters, ferris wheels, and more. She could smell various different meals at hundreds of food stalls, and loud music blared through the entire place. It was so hard to wrap her head around all of this. The park itself was almost normal—the kind of place people would want to go to. It was so weird thinking that it was a place for the most evil people in the world to gather at. What would they even do here? Have fun?
"How are there so many people?" She muttered, looking around in mild terror as their group made their way to the line. She had never gotten to go to an amusement park before. Her family never had the money or time for it. Part of her wished that never changed now.
"Don't ask so many stupid questions." Fairy Queen barked back at her. "Speak another word, and I'll make sure your stay here isn't pleasant."
"Now, now, remember what Nier said." Avalon chuckled and placed a hand on her shoulder as he stared down Fairy Queen. "Be nice to Ms. Lauren. She was just curious, was all. To answer your question, Ms. Lauren, shortly before the war, the hero known as Max Lightning discovered an ability to create extra space. Thanks to him and the help of some of Full Monarch's energy, I was able to create pocket realms using some of Sini's old notes. It had been a project he had been working on even before Max showed up, as a means to save the human race in case Full Monarch lost to the Beast. The Hero Branch gladly gave me all the resources I needed, and with the help of Max, I was able to create the first realms. Of course, at the time the good guys didn't know I was a double agent and was planning on selling them out since I had already been changed into a monster. Hell Hound actually asked me to build this realm for her. See, realms were made in the start as a way for us to save humanity from the Beast attacks. It ended up getting discarded though since these places can't actually grow resources. Sunlight, water, and nature—all of it is fake and has no effect on real-world plants. You'd need a Super like the Lord of Life to actually grow anything, and these realms are actually pretty small, so it'd be impossible to fit the entire planet's population inside of one; thus, the process was used instead for bases."
"If she didn't know that much, then she's an idiot." Fairy Queen growled back at them.
Avalon rolled his eyes. "Just shut it." Slowly they reached the gate, and the line broke in two, allowing them to get past. The guards didn't bother stopping them or questioning them and simply allowed them through without any incident. The inside of the park was wide and expansive, with many people walking back and forth. She saw more rides in the distance, a merry-go-round, gun ranges, haunted houses, mazes, and so much more. "Not everyone you see is a Super." Avalon spoke up, continuing his explanation from earlier. "After Hell Hound's death, some of the Monsters that worked under her turned this place into Hell Land. Hell Hound was always naive and childish at times. This was created as a place where villains didn't have to worry. It's been a closely guarded secret where the gate connecting it to the real world is. Some heroes likely know it exists but can't get to it. Most of the people here are goons. Small grunts that work under Supers. Being evil is almost like a job, and at a job sometimes your boss will throw you a bone and give you a little treat. Hell Land is the treat for villains. A Black Market where bad guys all over the world can let their henchmen go play while they make deals among each other selling info on heroes, gear, or even people. The one that runs this place is a villain called the Owner. This land is neutral ground and works as a base for anyone that needs it."
That last part made her shudder. "Just wait until the Victorian gets her hands on any of you. She'll destroy you all."
"Careful." Fairy Queen looked back at her, giving a cruel smirk. "Heroes like you, especially ones as small as you, might find themselves pissing off the wrong person. Not everyone is as kind as my master here. I'm sure plenty of villains would love to have some as pretty and 'young' as you around-"
"That's enough, Fairy Queen." The Emperor's fingers tightened around the woman's throat. "I won't say it again. Behave."
"Y- Yes, sir."
He dropped her and looked out across the park. A massive tower stood in the very center of it all. If she was to take a guess, she'd say it was where this 'Owner' guy was. "I came to speak with the Owner." The Emperor explained. It took her a moment to realize he was talking to her. "You're free to do whatever you want here until I'm done. Stay close to Avalon for your safety."
She didn't get to ask much more as the man began to walk toward the tower in the distance. He was followed by his shadows and Golden God, who remained in the sky. Fairy Queen shot her one last nasty look before stalking after her master like a hurt puppy.
"Fairy Queen doesn't like you." Avalon snickered and smacked her on the back. "I guess that's to be expected though. You killed one of her kids after all."
"I did?"
"Polaron." The man explained. "Though Fairy Queen has a lot of children. She was the second monster created and was around before Nier even fully created the title of Emperor. She's kind of a freak and kept having kids with all sorts of people. Most of her kids turned out as the Dragon Clan. People like the hero Wyvern, Drake, or Silver Dragon."
"If she was the second, who was the first?"
"Alpha's wife, Hell Hound."
"Mr. Larison's wife was Hell Hound!" That felt like a punch in the gut. She had known Battery was one of the people that worked for the Emperor, but it never dawned on her his wife would be as well. It made some sense, but for it to be Hell Hound? Ruby's memories were still fresh in her mind. Hell Hound was a powerful villain.
"I guess you can say it was love at first sight." Avalon shrugged his shoulders and began to walk in a random direction. "She made this place for him. I bet he'd hate what it's been turned into. Serves him right. She was more loyal to him than Nier. Almost always she stayed by his side. She was once Nier's daughter. At least her body was. The soul within her was something new, however, and Nier no longer held any love for her. He kept her around so he could eventually clone a body and place the soul of his actual daughter into that body. I guess Alpha took a liking to Hell Hound, and the two became smitten with each other. It was that love that caused them to betray the master in the end." Avalon shook his head and turned back to her, smiling. "So, while the boss is busy talking to some people, what kind of rides would you like to-" He froze when he saw Hope was nowhere near him. "Ah shit..."
She had taken off as soon as he turned his back on her. Without a second thought, she turned and ran. He had been so busy monologueing that he didn't even notice. Seriously, speeches and monologues had to be something that went wrong for bad guys everywhere.
She passed by many rides that had long lines of people waiting to get on. Things like bumper carts, spinning teacups, and even some gift shops. There was a food stall at every corner trying to sell some overpriced snack or beverage, and she had to fight her way through the crowd. Those guards in black armor were also scattered around, and she noticed several shooting looks her way. They weren't the only ones either. Actual villains walked around, some dressed up in goofy shark or clown costumes, and others decked out in so much Mental-based tech they might as well have been from the future.
That wasn't what she was worried about, though. What she was actually worried about was what she didn't see. Those damn tiny drones that Avalon had. So small they were the size of flys. They had been there since the start, and she'd be willing to bet he had some around her now. Her enhanced senses hadn't come back, so she had no way of knowing.
She ran through the crowd and found herself at a part of the park that was filled with various water-based rides. All the water was still that red color, which was probably not blood, she hoped. There were pools and other such things scattered around, and a massive sprinkler system was placed in the middle, which fired off streams of water. She ran through it as fast as she could so that if any drone was following her it'd be drowned. She doubted it would work since they had somehow made it through massive battles untouched, but it didn't hurt to try.
Once she was done with that, she ripped off the hoodie she was in and snatched several clothes from a carnival game stand. The kind that had you knock over bottles. The owner yelled something at her as she ran past it, ripping them off of his table, but she ignored him and ducked down some alleyways. Large tents were scattered around the rides as well, hosting various shows, so she used them to stalk in the shadows and got out of sight, stripping out of the rest of the clothes the Emperor had provided her.
She kept the pants but changed the shirt to a 'I visited Hell Land, and all I got was a T-Shirt' shirt. She also put on a red jacket that had the symbol of Hell Land, a wolf on the back of it. She put the hoodie up and zipped it up. She had gotten a second jacket as well, which she tied around her waist, forming a makeshift skirt of sorts to hide most of the pants. She double checked for some of the drones but didn't see any. With that all done, she finally allowed herself to relax and stepped out of the shadows.
She made her way into a large crowd, walking with the people, and looked around, assessing the situation. She might not have had any powers and might be trapped in a tiny body, but that didn't mean the situation itself was hopeless. If this was a realm, then that meant there was a gate. It was likely at the docks somewhere, so she'd have a way out. It likely wasn't the only gate as well. In the battle with Wish, during her first fight, Doctor Blue had managed to escape the realm despite not leaving through the main gate. She was willing to bet there was more than one way out of a place like this in case of an emergency. On top of that, if the controls got destroyed, the entire realm would be forced open.
If she could find a way to regain her power quickly, she could also likely force an opening and escape that way. Green Wolf had done something like that when he entered Polaron's base, and she and BB had done the same thing, forcing their way into the Wandering Coin's realm. She could still remember the feeling. It'd likely be easier getting out than it would be to get in.
Either way, no matter what, she needed to find a way out. The others thought she was dead or believed that fake her was the real Cinder. She needed to figure out what state her city was left in and check on her parents and Sky. Not to mention Mr. Larison, who was somehow still alive. She also needed to have a talk with the Victorian. Those memories hadn't been the end; she was sure of that. She really wanted to know what happened next.
Her thoughts suddenly came to an end as something caught her eye. There had been a few around, but this one made her stop. It was a statue of Hell Hound. What made this one so special compared to the dozen others she had passed though was that the woman wasn't alone. Forged from stone, and standing next to her, staring out at the crowd, was the Emperor. The two of them stood side by side almost as if they were equals.
It made her remember more of Ruby's memories. Something about the entire situation with the Emperor hadn't set right with her. Something she couldn't exactly put her finger on. There was that thing Max had said. What exactly was Nier's goal, and why were there two of them? One with red eyes and one with blue eyes. What was Mr. Larison's role in all of that?
"Found you." She froze when she heard the voice. She went to spin around, but it was too late. A sharp pain shot through her as a hand grabbed her roughly by her head. The fingers dug into the hoodie and her hair and lifted her up, causing her to let out a loud yelp of pain. "You thought you could get away with stealing from the mighty Owner?" She found herself face to face with one of the black armored guards. The man's other hand squeezed down around the handle of his mace, and his eyes roamed over the jacket and shirt she had stolen. He wasn't alone either. Two more guards stood behind him, glaring at her.
"I- I can explain-"
"Save it." His eyes narrowed from behind his helm, and he turned, dragging her. "I'll show you what we do with petty thieves."
No one bothered to help her. In fact, many cheered and smirked, treating it like a show as she was dragged across the ground. The men took her away from the crowd and behind one of the many tents that was set up. He shoved her to the ground and raised his mace. It twisted and changed, the metal coming to life and forming into a large axe.
"Left, or right?"
"W- What?" She asked, staring up at him with wide, fearful eyes. She hated how powerless she felt. This entire situation. It made her blood boil. Her body was so weak and helpless. She had forgotten just how truly scary it was to be a mere human in the presence of a demigod.
"Pick which arm we take, thief." His fingers gripped down on his axe as his eyes glared down at her. "That's what we do to people like you. You're still a child, so I'll show you mercy."
"Mercy?" She asked, shocked. "You're still taking one of my hands! It was just a shirt!"
"That's why I'm letting you pick which hand I take. That's my mercy. Because, after all, it was only a shirt. Be grateful. Now pick before I take them both."
"You're insane!"
"Wrong answer." Before she could move two of the other guards grabbed her either side of her arms. She thrashed about and screamed as he dragged his arm across the ground. He placed it over her left wrist and slowly brought it up. The weapon was jagged and mangled. Not the sort of thing made for taking limbs off cleanly. She squeezed her eyes shut as he brought it down.
For the first time in her life, she prayed Avalon or someone similar would come to her rescue. Despite how bad her luck had been lately something actually seemed to answer her call. She heard it right as the axe reached her. The sound of metal on metal. Something appeared above her wrist just in time to block the axe. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself staring at a rapier.
The guardsmen grunted and struggled, but with a flick of a wrist, whoever wielded the blade sent him crashing down. "Have you no shame?" The voice that spoke held almost no emotion. The two men that held her dropped her and jumped back, drawing their weapons. She looked up and found herself staring up at a girl in a strange military-looking uniform who had long gray hair. The girl wielded a slim rapier, one that had casually deflected the mighty great axe the man had. She was young as well. Seventeen at the most. The girl stood in front of her, holding an arm out protectively. "Evil people like you put a sour taste in my mouth." Her voice wasn't loud, but it wasn't silent either. It was blank and bland. Just like Lucifer or Golden God's.
"Who the hell are you?" The guard asked through gritted teeth.
The girl vanished in a single step, appearing before the three men. "The one who beat you." And with that, she swung the blunt side of her weapon, smashing it into all three of their heads and knocking them all out.
Hope fell back, staring up at her savior in shock. She had never seen this girl before. She had to be a villain, right?
Slowly, the girl's eyes found their way onto her. "Are you okay?"
And just like that, Hope met Meta.